sdnworldfandomcom-20200214-history
The One Year War
aka The Emmerian Civil War '' ''aka The Polarian War of Liberation '' Belligerents *The Polarian Autarky *The Emmerian Reich Neutral Affectees *The Federal Republic of Vitoze Timeline of Events Antebellum *1980s-1990s: The Reichstag authorizes increased taxation to fund an upgrade of the hitherto outdated and ineffective Navy, the KEM (for Konigliche Emmerische Marine). This taxation places a strain on the already tense situation across Greater Emmeria, which at this time does not have proper equal suffrage, instead using a complicated system in which voteweight is directly linked to land ownership and position. *Late 1990s: Continued taxation leads to demands for a universal equal suffrage bill by the working class. The landowners are, of course, against it because it will disrupt their comfortable control of the system; representatives of the working class are in favor of it, because it will allow proper reform of the system through the power of the people. *November 2nd, 2000: The universal-suffrage bill is proposed in the autumn 2000 session of the Reichstag. It spends the next year being picked at and debated over as an increasingly consternated populace looks on. It passes its' first and second votes in this and the winter 2000 session, and shows good signs of passing. *May 2nd, 2001: In a stunning turnaround, the universal-suffrage bill fails in its' third vote at the spring 2001 session, leading to outrage amongst the workers, especially the miners and factory workers of cold, mountainous North Emmeria. The citizens of sleepy Vitoze, largely farmers and those with farming-related jobs on warmer Vitoze Island and under a newly-elected nationalist government, do not take it as badly as the the North but nonetheless begin to consider independence from a Reich that clearly cares nothing about their opinions. *May 9th, 2001: North Emmerian demagogue Heinrich Rudel and a handful of his supporters seize control of a radio station in the northern provincial capitol of Dinsmark and begin to spread his message of 'Polarian' nationalism, referring frequently to the former nation of Polaria, defeated and annexed by Emmeria as North Emmeria in the 1600s. Rudel's message spreads across the Reich over the next month, slowly breathing life into the smouldering dissent held by the North Emmerian working class. *May-June, 2001: The first northward emigrations begin to take place, as native North Emmerians and those of North Emmerian heritage begin to feel their loyalties lie more to Polaria and refer to themselves as Polarian, renouncing Emmeria and its' oppressive system. The Reichstag orders the Heer to close the border to the northern province, authorizing force if necessary to prevent mass exodus. *June 30th, 2001: The first protests and strikes begin to take place in major cities across the country, organized and sychronized by Rudel's broadcasts. The Heer is ordered to disperse them, and does so. In the city of Silvat, just south of the border with the northern province, Heer troops are ordered to fire over the heads of the crowd and are charged by enraged demonstrators. They are ordered to fire directly into the demonstrators 'to protect themselves', killing dozens. Many of the soldiers present are disgusted by these orders and desert to head north, donning the red armband of the Polarian independence movement, regardless of their birthplace. The Reichstag is forced to rescind the order to close the northern border to prevent total rebellion across the nation. *August 1st, 2001: The crew of the destroyer ''Graf Stoltzer revolt after illicitly listening to a particularly rousing speech by Rudel, arresting or killing the native Emmerian officers aboard and setting course for the northern port of Anfang. As news of this mutiny filters through the military, other sailors and soldiers plot mutinies of their own, inspired by Rudel's radio speeches. *August-December, 2001: The Reich continues to fall apart as strikes and emigrations fracture the economy and close factories. Vitoze continues to contemplate its' own secession, quietly waiting for the right time to make the Emmerian government an offer it cannot refuse. The Chancellor, fearing imminent civil war, attempts to buy as many armaments from friendly MESS as is possible. *December 31st, 2001: As families across the nation gather to celebrate what they hope to be the beginning of a more peaceful year, soldiers loyal to Rudel seize part of the national emergency-announcement system, allowing him to tap in. Rudel then makes his famous New Year's Speech, declaring that there is no better time than now to denounce the cruel and ineffective Emmerian government and found a new Polarian state, for the betterment of all Polarians and, soon, the betterment of all oppressed by the Reich. Thousands of Polarians rise up in his name during the night, slaughtering and burning the Emmerian government in North Emmeria and its' buildings across the northern province. *January 1st, 2002: Heinrich Rudel and his most trusted lieutenants appear on national television, broadcasting from a Polarian-loyal a TV station in Dinsmark, and announces the secession of Polaria from their unlawful oppressors in Gracemeria. The Emmerian government, headed by Chancellor Karl Uhler, responds by declaring the Polarian secession illegal and that the Reich will therefore bring Polaria back under legal authority by any means necessary. The One Year War *January 1st, 2002: Cued by Rudel's declaration, Polarian-loyal sailors and soldiers across the Emmerian military move to seize their ships, bases, vehicles, and aircraft. Units across Emmeria are thrown into chaos as former brothers in arms fire upon one another, the only difference between them being the solid red armbands of the Polarian revolters. Half a dozen ships are sunk or crippled as mutineer vessels attempt to escape northward, fired upon by loyal Emmerian vessels. A dozen more manage to flee. Units across the Army and Air Force are gutted as Polarian sympathizers fight their way free, heading north to bolster Polaria's defense. Aircraft from bases throughout Emmeria and Vitoze are taken by their crews and flown to Polaria, forming the nucleus of the Polarian Citizen's Air Force and dulling the Reich's ability to strike back. *January, 2002: Units gutted by Polarian deserters spend the next month desperately trying to pull themselves together as the Reich calls up all reservists in Emmeria and Vitoze. The Emmerian soldiers answer the call, but Vitozan soldiers do not - the Reichstag considers sending press-gangs to collect Vitozan reservists but decides against it, given the lack of loyal soldiers to spare. The Polarians spend that same month tallying and organizing their military assets, forming them along the border to prevent an Emmerian assault. *February 1st, 2002: The representative of the provincial leadership of Vitoze in Gracemeria delivers a note to the Chancellery, informing Uhler that Vitoze will not be providing troops for the war with Polaria, nor will it allow Emmerian soldiers to remain on Vitozan soil. They express their willingness to legally purchase the Emmerian military assets left behind and their amenability to putting their neutrality on paper alongside the official Emmerian recognition of their independence. The Chancellor, unable to spare the forces to bring Vitoze back in line, reluctantly accepts. *